The ultimate beneficiaries of the power company PJSC “Chernivtsioblenergo” were citizens of Germany Oleg Seserman and Marina Yaroslavl, as well as citizens of Latvia Vilis Dampens, Arturs Altbergs and Valts Vigants, according to updated data from the state registry.

According to them, these citizens are also beneficiaries of Dutch VS Energy International NV, which in turn is 100% owner of the company “VS energy international Ukraine”.

As reported, on 1 March, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has allowed to the specified company to concentrate more than 50% of shares of “Chernivtsioblenergo”. At that time, according to the disclosure system NKTSBFR, “VS energy international Ukraine” owned 45% of shares of “Chernivtsioblenergo”, and another 10% of the company owned by “LD-Ukraine” .

According to AMC, LLC “VS energy international Ukraine” carries out activities on provision of consulting services in questions of commercial activity and management, and with entities related to it by relations of control, forms a group of companies VS Energy.

The group VS Energy, in addition to “Chernivtsioblenergo”, includes utility company “Zhitomiroblenergo”, “Kirovogradoblenergo”, “Khersonoblenergo”, “Kievoblenergo”, “Rivneoblenergo”, “Odessaoblenergo” and “Sevastopolenergo”, says the AMC.

According to the Committee, the group also includes other business entities registered on the territory of Ukraine, which are involved in renting and operating of own or leased real estate; provision of services in the sphere of economic security and the introduction of new technologies.

In this list there is no mention of metallurgical, agricultural and financial businesses, whereas previously (in particular, in 2013) in the composition VS Energy also included a small agricultural holding “UIFK-agro” which the group wanted to sell a significant share in the “Dneprospetsstal” and First investment Bank.

Currently, according to the state register, the beneficiary “UIFK-agro” is Axel Carl Friedrich Dieckmann, while the beneficiaries of “Dneprospetsstal” stated Natalia Selivanova (Slovenia), Gennady Sokolov (Germany), Didzis Berzins (Latvia), and one citizen of Latvia Vilis Dambis, who is also a beneficiary of VS Energy.

Majority owner of First investment Bank from November 2016 is the President of football club CSKA, a Russian citizen, Yevgeny Giner, who by 15 December increased its stake to 84.3%.

Informed beneficiaries of VS Energy Ukrainian media and politicians called several Russian businessmen, including the Deputy of the state Duma Alexander Babakov, included in the sanctions list of the European Union because of Russia’s actions in Crimea, in which he is listed as the owner of a significant investment in Ukraine and Crimea.

Leader of the parliamentary faction “people’s front”, a member of the coalition, Maxim Bourbaki last week demanded that AMCU to reconsider giving permission VS Energy for the purchase of “Chernivtsioblenergo”. “During the war with Russia to give one of the largest energy enterprises in Chernivtsi region under the control of the Russian oligarch is a need to have a great disregard for their own state,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

M. Burbak also addressed the SBU with a request to review this decision.

News see also Energoinform